[10 & 10 | Mixtape Review] Martin Beamon – “January’s First”

The Introduction

I’ve been waiting for an official project from Martin Beamon for well over a year. From sitting in on ciphers on Skype to hearing him slaughter features on Lewis and J. Ellis’ respective projects, he was the one person that seemed to be the most elusive when it came to tangible music. He’s sent over several loose tracks and MP3s, but never a project. That finally changed as 2012 rang in, and he FINALLY put out his debut mixtape. Entitled January’s First (which also doubles as his alternate rap alias), the homie’s finally able to be put to the test for this edition of the [10 & 10] Mixtape Review.

If you’re unsure how this works, this is essentially two writers giving ten random thoughts/statements/etc, and following that up with a brief overview and rating. Jake is on the evens, and I’m handling the odds. Check out our thoughts below, and download the project at the bottom after the jump.

The [10 & 10] Review

1. The first ten tracks feel like raw freestyles. Nothing wrong with that, but there doesn’t seem to be any type of hooks whatsoever. I will say that out of those tracks, the most impressive is “Wolf,” due to its crisp presentation.
2. The sample on the first track is ill. Really, really ill. If the production is like this for the rest of the project, this might be a problem, to be honest.
3. Beamon rhymes over any kind of beat, from Game to Kanye West. In that aspect, he and his partner Lewis are a lot alike. That “No Beat Is Safe” mentality is dope to have, but does it translate over into song-making ability?
4. The lyrics are dope, but there does seem to be something missing from the first couple of songs that I can’t place my finger on.
5. This isn’t an insult by any means, but his flow reminds me of Charles Hamilton in one aspect. It sounds almost sloppy, but it’s really just the integration of several different rhyme schemes. Dope, but (again) raw.
6. Beamon’s flow has definitely changed for the better in the last year.  I remember hearing him on several records with Lewis and being completely turned off by his flow, but it is much improved here.
7. “F**k your opinions / I’m impressing me.” That’s a quotable from “Sad Movie.” I understand not changing, but hopefully that doesn’t eliminate the place for constructive criticism…
8. With that said… there are still too many points where Martin goes off beat with his flow, much to the detriment of the song.
9. Beamon can really rap. I mean, rap-wise, he’s head-and-shoulders above most of the people we post on the site. I’m interested to hear if he’s able to make a full project that doesn’t feel like a “mixtape” or a compilation of songs, and that’s what this project feels like.
10. A lot of the beats are incredibly dope.  If his flow keeps improving and he keeps getting this kind of production, the sky could be the limit for him.
11. Sometimes, it’s easy to zone out in the middle of his verses. Whether that’s because of the same cadence and rhyme schemes he uses or not, I’m unsure. I do know that when he changes it up, he sounds incredible (“Wolf”, “Colder Winter”).
12. This “So Much Higher” record is definitely a PROBLEM.  This could be far and away my favorite song from him.  The beat fits the lyrics and flow perfectly.  I really wish the record was fleshed out more; instead it is less than two minutes.
13. Going back to the first point, the first “real” hook doesn’t come in until the 11^th track. The Charles Hamilton is put to work well on “Prettiest Ugly Things.”
14. I think I just heard a Kat Stacks reference. Hahahaha. I forgot about her.  It might be a bit dated, but any line dissing her is fine with me.
15. There’s more than one track where Beamon continues to rap as the beat expires. Wonder if that was executed by design or not. However, I do love what he did with “Dreams on Her”…
16. The hooks on January’s First, when present, leave a lot to be desired.  It isn’t that they’re bad, necessarily; it’s just that they don’t stick in the listener’s head.
17. Talks a lot… maybe too much on tracks…sometimes, I wish he’d just let his music speak for him. If anyone’s able to do that, it’s definitely Beamon, lol.
18. “After the Rapture” has a dope vibe, and Lewis has a nice cameo.  These two seem to bring out the best in each other, and I’m really excited to see a collaboration project from them.
19. Although most of the long-verse takes are solid, by the end of the project, his best tracks are the ones with legit hooks. Lewis delivers twice with great hooks, and his hook on “Prettiest Ugly Things” were solid.
20. I think that this record suffers from too much length. If a couple of the songs had been left on the cutting room floor, the overall quality could have been raised quite a bit.  Twenty two songs are honestly just too long for a mixtape nowadays. People don’t have that kind of attention span.

The Wrap-Up

[K1ng Eljay] – With all of that constructive criticism, this is still a project that was well overdue. Beamon used to send songs to me almost over a year ago, and each time I’d ask him when the mixtape’s coming. Each time, he’d just say be patient, and so I was. Finally earlier this month, he finally dropped it. I knew to expect lyrics, but the raw approach here is a good and a bad thing.

The biggest issue with the mixtape is that it doesn’t seem focused. Yes, he can rap. Yes, he has several flows. Yes, he has bars. What now? The project just seems like it’s a raw step in the right direction, but there’s not a lot of STRUCTURED substance when compared to other projects that are out. It’s a solid entry for his first mixtape, but there has to be more structure and more SONGS on the next project if he wants his boasts of being the best to actually carry weight. The best way to describe this project is just raw talent, and you can tell that it has a “first” mixtape feel to it.

As soon as he learns how to channel it and write hooks as well, then we’re going to see a huge leap in his artistry and development. The sky is the limit for him, and I hope to be around to watch him if it all clicks.

• Eljay’s Rating: 2.5 out of 5
• Eljay’s Favorites
  • “Dreams on Her”
  • “Coldest Winter” (feat. Lewis)
  • “Wolf”

)()()(

[Jake Bouvy] – I’ve always been a fan of the whole Otaku/Echelon/Lion group, and I think they make some dope tunes.  I wasn’t convinced on Beamon for a while, to be honest, but January’s First has me sold.  He definitely has some potential, especially if he improves at the rate he did in 2011. The record is by no means perfect, but there are a couple joints on there that will keep getting some spins from me. The lack of standout hooks and the recurring problem of mismatched flows hold this project back, but with improvements made to those areas, Beamon has the potential to make some very dope music.

• Bouvy’s Rating: 3 out of 5
• Bouvy’s Favorites:
  • “So Much Higher”
  • “One Day”
  • “16s For Her”

K1ngEljay.com Rating

3 out of 5

• Download “January’s First” here (Datpiff)
• Check out Lewis’ “Nothing Personal” Mixtape here
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